E3 2011: Catwoman is Cooler Than Batman (In Arkham City)

Warner Bros. Interactive had one of the most eye-catching booths this year at E3 due to a mammoth image of Batman and Catwoman. The sly feline is featured just as prominently as the bat himself, and after seeing playable Catwoman in Batman: Arkham City, this spot is well deserved. [Click the image to the right, then right-click to download the full size wallpaper!] The closed-door demo began with Batman approaching two cats perched on top of a roof. Upon reaching the cats, Batman is given the option to “take a break.” If he chooses to do so, Catwoman will pounce in. Arkham Asylum is one of the most revered comic book video games because players were finally given the chance to move as they had seen Batman move in comics and movies. The game mechanics fit to his character, it wasn’t just some avatar donning the cowl. Arkham City gives the same consideration to Catwoman. She does not play like Batman. She moves differently, fights differently, glides – pounces – differently. She is her own character and is treated as such by the talented team at Rocksteady.

One of the first things you will notice about Catwoman is how much faster she is than Batman. You would think that by not having a cape to glide around Gotham would slow her down, but Selina Kyle is quite handy with a whip and uses that to jump from building to building and street lamp to street lamp. Her takedowns, especially from above, are arguably more satisfying than Batman’s since she uses her claws on the unsuspecting thugs. While Batman’s punches radiate brute strength, Catwoman in combat is more graceful, using different kinds of martial arts to defeat enemies. She has her own unique tools, including bolos, which she can use in combat combinations.

But where Catwoman really shines is stealth mode. With her claws she can climb not only on the walls, but also the ceiling. In the demo, she is sneaking into a vault to – gasp! – steal something. But to do so, she has to sneak past several guards. While climbing on the ceiling, Catwoman positions herself over one of the guards, drops her legs down, and takes him out with her thighs. This may seem overtly sexual, but it’s damn fun to watch. It also fits with her fighting style. Rocksteady and Warner Bros. Interactive have created an entire storyline for Catwoman that is interwoven with the overall plot. She is sexy, powerful, and not to be taken lightly. Catwoman in Batman: Arkham City is how female video game characters should be done.

Arkham City isn’t the only bat-themed game WBIE showed off at E3 2011. I’ll admit to being incredibly skeptical about this game. At first glance it looks and sounds like it’ll just be another generic shooter. The premise of having a gang of Batman wannabes fighting against a gang of Joker wannabes has been done in other mediums, but how much fun could it really be in a first person shooter? Turns out, it can be quite a bit of fun. Rather than trying to make this a “serious” shooter, Monolith Productions has gone the exact opposite direction. The fully customizable male and female characters on both sides can look utterly ridiculous. The weapons are also customizable and go from standard firearms to a ball-bearing gatling gun. The general atmosphere of the game is off-the-wall and goofy, and the relatively small spaces (though they were layered with several floors of gamespace) keep things gloriously chaotic. As a downloadable multiplayer-only shooter, casual fans of the Batman or aspiring supervillains will be able to blast each other with unique weaponry and will surely be laughing and cheering at the sheer zaniness of the game. This one was definitely a pleasant surprise.

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